In this episode of the Theopologetics Podcast I discuss the historic Christian doctrine which teaches that Jesus Christ is God, and I’ll address some of the challenges leveled by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who teach that Jesus is a created being and is not God.
Music
Promoted Resources
- What Color is the Sky in Their World? Podcast, with Phil Naessens.
- Also check out the blog of the same name.
- The Trinity: Evidence and Issues, by Robert Morey.
- An excellent resource providing powerful historical and biblical evidence that Jesus is God.
Terminology
- Christology: the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses: adherents to a counterfeit form of Christianity who, among other serious false views, believe Jesus Christ is the first being God created.
- Theanthropos: a Greek word meaning “God Man,” describing Jesus Christ as being God in human flesh.
- Trinity: the historic Christian teaching that there is one and only one God, that the Father is that God, that the Son is that God, and that the Holy Spirit is that God, but that they are not each other.
Historical References
Creeds
Church Fathers
- Clement of Rome: Letter to the Corinthians, “Second Epistle” of Clement
- Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Ephesians, Letter to the Romans, Letter to the Trallians, Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Letter to Polycarp
- Justin Martyr: Dialogue with Trypho (chapter 128)
- Irenaeus: The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching
- Clement of Alexandria: Exhortation to the Heathen (chapter 10), The Paedagogus (Book I)
- See my refutation of other Church Fathers claimed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses to support their view at my blog
Biblical References
- Jesus is God
- John 1:1-3,14
- Colossians 1:16-17
- Hebrews 1:1-12 (see also my lengthy examination of this text at my blog)
- John 20:28
- Acts 20:28
- Romans 9:5, cf. Romans 1:25
- 2 Thessalonians 1:12 (NLT)
- Titus 2:13
- 2 Peter 1:1
- Revelation 22:13, cf. Revelation 1:8, 21:6
- Jehovah’s Witnesses’ challenges
- Colossians 1:15
- Psalm 89:27 has God making David, the eigth and youngest of his father’s sons, God’s “firstborn”
- See also Genesis 48:17-19
- For more, see my blog.
- John 3:16
- Hebrews 11:17 calls Isaac the “only begotten son” of Abraham, even though Abraham had other sons
- For more, see my blog.
- Proverbs 8:22, cf. 1 corinthians 1:30
- Revelation 3:14
- But God is also called “the beginning” in Revelation 21:6
- Luke 20:20 uses the same Greek word to refer to the power or rule of the governor
- John 14:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:3
- For more, see my blog.
- Colossians 1:15